Elder – The Perfect Garden Tree Providing a Variety of Medicines

Elder is one of the native trees of the British Isles and it is a great choice of tree for your garden. As well as being believed to be a protective tree that was often planted near dwellings to keep evil away, it is also a very beautiful tree with a large number of medicinal qualities.

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Elder is a hardy tree and thrives in most areas and soil types. It is easy to maintain, but if you need a tree cutting back at all it is always best to get a professional to do it like this Tree Surgeon Bournemouth based https://kieranboylandtreeservices.com as climbing and cutting can be hazardous if you are not sure what you are doing.

Elder trees have long been highly regarded for their many medicinal qualities – the leaves are toxic to eat but are good for rubbing onto aching muscles, and the berries are high in antioxidants and as they appear in Autumn, they are perfect cooked into a jam or a syrup – some people can have stomach trouble when eating them raw so cooking the berries is always better. They act as an antiviral and can keep the winter germs at bay!

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The flowers are also a delicious bounty – elderflower champagne is a summery treat, and the flowers that are used to make it can relieve cold symptoms and help to unblock the sinuses, and many people swear by it as a hay fever relief!